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Spinal Cord (2006) 44, 445448& 2006 International Spinal Cord Society All rights reserved 1362-4393/06 $30.00www.nature.com/scOriginal ArticleReview of spinal cord injuries in IrelandRJ OConnor*,1 and PC Murray21Academic Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; 2National Rehabilitation Hospital,
Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, IrelandStudy Design: Prospective data collection on all patients with spinal cord injury (SCI)
admitted for a comprehensive management programme.Objectives: To examine the epidemiology of SCIin Ireland over 1 year.
Setting: Irelands National Spinal Cord Injury Centre.Methods: Systematic data collection on all patients admitted with SCIfor management.
Results: A total of 46 patients (40 males) were admitted from January to December 2000;
median age was 37 years (range 682 years). In all, 23 of the patients presented with cervical
injuries, 19 patients had thoracic injuries. In all, 18 patients had complete injuries (American
spinal injuries association (ASIA)). Motor vehicle collisions were the cause of 50% of SCI.
Conclusions: The incidence of SCIin Ireland is 13.1 per million population. Demographic
data from this study can go towards improving care for patients with SCIand also in the
prevention of SCI.Spinal Cord (2006) 44, 445448. doi:10.1038/sj.sc.3101856; published online 22 November 2005Keywords: epidemiology; trauma; IrelandIntroductionSpinal cord injury (SCI) is a life threatening condition
that requires a coordinated multidisciplinary approach
to manage the injury itself and the potential secondary
complications satisfactorily.1 To enable health services
establish the correct level of support for acute management, rehabilitation and ongoing care in the community,
accurate gures for the incidence of SCIare needed,
as well as a detailed analysis of injury levels and care
requirements.Increasingly, rehabilitation professionals are adding
their voices to the call for better prevention of accidents
leading to SCI.24 By knowing the causes of SCIin their
communities they can contribute to the debate on
implementing safety measures. In Ireland, motor vehicle
collisions are the principal cause of trauma resulting in
serious morbidity, including SCI.5 Ireland has the third
highest rate of motor vehicle collisions in the European
Union, with 69% occurring on rural roads.5 In 1999, the
population of Ireland was 3.5 million people, with 2.1
million people living in rural areas.Drivers of motor vehicles comprise the greatest
number of patients involved in collisions in Ireland
(38%), followed by cyclists (20%) and motorcyclists
(19%);6 however, injuries sustained by motorcyclists
tend...